Closed New Arrivals

[Zoe Westwick]

Learning she was pregnant had been terrifying. Learning she was having twins had been world-shattering. Everyone talked about the magic of motherhood though, about those perfect moments with your baby, and Zoe had.... definitely felt emotions she had never felt before, but the terror hadn't gone away. The babies nestled in her arms were so small, so impossibly delicate, and it would be so easy for her to hurt them. Not just physically, but.... their entire lives stretched ahead, and she was responsible. She was their mum. The weight on her shoulders was impossible to really comprehend, and it was hard to focus on the love she felt looking at her daughters when her back felt like it was about to break.

Luckily, today there was a distraction incoming. Today she and Ted had invited their siblings to come meet the babies for the first time, and there would be plenty of other things to focus on than the uncertain future. Harley in particular hadn't been especially happy to learn about Zoe's pregnancy, and she was hoping that cute babies and being called 'Auntie Harley' would help ease that particular tension. She looked up from the babies' faces at a knock on the bedroom door, figuring Ted must be here with the others. "Come in." Zoe called out, re-settling her right arm slightly and trying to smile like a carefree new mother.

 

[Harley Tsuji]

Harley really couldn't believe she was here. She couldn't believe anything vfrom the last nine months, frankly. Though by the end of it there had been absolutely no denying that her little sister was pregnant, it still seemed far too bizarre to be real. Zoe was a kid, she'd barely just graduated from Hogwarts, how could she be a parent already?! It had taken substantial restraining from Zoe to keep Harley from beating the snot out of Theodore when she had found out, and even now that he was letting them into the flat, Harley was having a bit of trouble with that impulse. At least it was easier to control with both of those creeps around, as she didn't want to knock the innocent one around by accident.

But no, today wasn't about that. She was... an auntie now, somehow, and she was going to meet Zoe's babies for the first time. Babies. Two of them. Harley didn't really know anything about babies, but she was pretty sure two were much harder than one. If this Ted kid couldn't support Zoe... no. Not about that, right now. She elbowed Ted out of the way a little harder than necessary when Zoe called out to them though, pushing past him to be the first one into the room. There she was... there they were. Harley had never been easy to cry, but something about the sight of Zoe with two babies in her arms almost brought a tear to her eyes. "Oh my god..." She whispered, far from the loud shout she usually greeted her siblings with, creeping quietly over to Zoe and sitting down on the side of the bed. "They're so beautiful, Zo..." Harley breathed, reaching out and marvelling at how just the tip of her finger was nearly the size of one of the babies' palms as she stroked it feather-soft. "What are their names?" She whispered, looking up at her sister. Harley knew Zoe well enough to see the smile she wore wasn't entirely sincere, but there would be time to deal with that soon enough.

 

[Edmund Westwick]

Edmund didn't think it was reaching to say today was one of the most bizarre days of his life. He felt years away from being responsible enough to be a father, but here he was, about to meet his brother's children. He couldn't even begin to imagine what Theodore and Zoe were going through, having twins at such a young age. It was easy to see the tension on Theodore's face as he welcomed them into the flat, though Edmund wasn't entirely sure how much of that was babies, and how much was Zoe's obnoxious sister. He did his best to ignore the grating blonde as he stood by Theodore's side, silently waiting for... however this was going to work.

He wasn't entirely surprised when Harley elbowed her way into the room before anyone else, though he was a little shocked by the viciousness of her strike, and gave the blonde a dirty look as she disappeared into Zoe and Theodore's bedroom. He lingered and let Zoe's siblings pass first, waiting by his brother's side. "You okay?" He asked Ted softly once Zoe's older brother had passed, giving his brother a meaningful look. This couldn't be easy, and Edmund couldn't fathom how he would feel in his brother's place, even as he followed the Tsujis into the bedroom.

 

[Jason Harper]

Jason still couldn't believe he was here. Zoe had told him first, a sensible choice considering their sister's temper, but even having had as long as he did to adjust to the thought, he couldn't quite fathom the reality that Zoe was a mother now. His baby sister, the girl who had spent her youth painstakingly walking Jason through her sticker albums and told him long, rambling stories about monsters while the two of them hid away from Harley's feud with their parents. This was the beginning of a whole new chapter of Zoe's life, and Jason knew he'd need to be more available than ever, in case his sister needed help.

It was slightly a relief, as selfish as Jason felt thinking so. He hadn't told Harley about his new relationship yet, and Jason knew that was going to be just as much a bombshell as this one, if not moreso given Harley's history with Matthew's family. He was relieved for something else to distract from the inevitable argument he was going to have with his sister. They could deal with the Matthew situation when they got to it. Right now, though, Jason had to deal with Zoe's babies. Having not gone to Hogwarts he hadn't had much chance to get a read on Zoe's boyfriend, and though he suspected Harley's vitriol towards the boy would be directed at anyone who had put Zoe in this situation, he had to admit he didn't get the best vibe from the younger man. Whichever... one of the two it was. He hadn't realised there were two of them until showing up today, and it only made matters more confusing. Zoe had always had strange tastes though, and he supposed he should have expected his sister to wind up with someone as bizarre as she was. He tried to put his worries aside as the door to Zoe's room opened, taking a slow breath to calm himself. He followed Harley into the room, surprised that she actually managed to keep appropriately quiet. Standing behind Harley, it occurred to Jason that this was the gentlest he had ever seen her. And there Zoe was, looking decidedly unhappy behind a clearly forced smile. The babies sleeping in her arms were adorable, of course they would be, they were Zoe's. But Jason knew his youngest sister extremely well, and he could see the tension in her face was more than just exhaustion. But Harley was already talking to her, so all Jason did was move closer, resting a gentle hand of support on Zoe's shoulder and looking down at her new daughters. They were so small and delicate-looking, and something in Jason's heart ached, for reasons he didn't quite understand. He knew Zoe would love her babies, without a doubt, but he was terrified that his sister wasn't actually ready for this, as young as she was.

 

[Theodore Westwick]

Theodore had never felt such a mix of emotions. He was happy, he was worried, he was nervous and terrified and excited all at once. His expression remained as neutral as always, hiding the inner turmoil inside. He couldn't quite believe he was a father. That he and Zoe were now parents. He had known that babies were the result of a pregnancy, but it still hadn't felt real until he'd hold his daughters. Of course he should have known there was a chance for twins, as he was a twin himself, but it had still seemed just as surreal as the rest was. He'd been tasked by letting Zoe's siblings and his own brother inside, and even worries about Zoe's sister killing him seemed to dim in comparison to the worries he had about his children and his girlfriend. He had no idea how they were ever going to do this, but he knew he couldn't voice these worries with Zoe's siblings right there. They had to at least feel like Theodore could take care of Zoe, could provide for his new family. He let Harley and Jason go into the room first, hoping their presence would be a comfort to Zoe. He knew Edmund's presence was a comfort to him, at least. And once the others were out of the room, he felt like he could be truthful. "I don't think I am." He said softly to his twin. "I have no idea what to do, Edmund." He whispered, reaching for his brother's hand for a moment.

 

[Zoe Westwick]

As soon as Harley entered the room, Zoe knew she wouldn't be keeping this smile up forever. Just the sight of her siblings made Zoe want to cry, and she hurriedly swallowed down the impulse. She was fine. She had to be. Happy new mum. "This is Nessie." Zoe whispered and carefully shifted one arm, before turning her attention to the other. "And this is Arachne." She smiled, a sharp shot of guilt hitting her in the chest as she realised she wasn't even certain about that. Had she gotten them the wrong way around? She vaguely remembered this morning dressing Nessie in the dinosaur onesie and Arachne in the kittycat one, but what if they were the wrong way around? How could she be such a terrible mother already, not even recognising which of her daughters was which?! Zoe hoped desperately that Harley didn't notice her swallowing down the guilt before giving another bleary smile. "They had a busy morning, but they've been sleeping for a while now. They'll probably wake up again soon." She whispered, doing anything she could to distract from her own distress.

 

[Harley Tsuji]

The babies in her sister's arms were adorable, that went without saying, but they weren't quite enough to distract Harley from her sister's obvious distress. Zoe fairly clearly wasn't okay, and she didn't quite know what she could do about it. The names were a small distraction, and Harley couldn't hold back a small snort of laughter. Of course they had chosen ridiculous names. Even if she did wanna kill that Theodore kid, she did appreciate at least that Zoe had found someone who appreciated her for all her eccentricities. "Okay, those are some top tier names." Harley said with a small nod of approval, but the clear drop in Zoe's expression wiped the smile from her face. Harley had never been the most nurturing to her younger sister, but she knew she needed to be now. "Zo, you know we're here for you." She said softly, rubbing the back of Zoe's hand with her knuckles. "Babysitting, company, extra hands, whatever. We'll be here."

 

[Edmund Westwick]

Edmund had expected his brother to be worse for wear. Tired, stressed, all of those things people seemed to be after they had had a baby. He hadn't expected Theodore to look scared. He looked young, even to the eyes of his twin, and it really struck Edmund how monumental a responsibility this was. How was Theodore supposed to go from school to fatherhood all at once? It didn't surprise him entirely when he felt his brother's hand against his own, taking it and squeezing gently, the same way they had comforted one another as children. "You'll... be okay." Edmund said slowly, but even he couldn't make himself really believe what he was saying. "You can do this. And... you won't be alone. I'll help, however I can..."

 

[Jason Harper]

Jason knew his youngest sister's taste well enough not to expect the babies to have the most average names, but he couldn't quite hold back a tiny laugh when he heard the names Zoe and her boyfriend had landed on. It was exactly the kind of names Zoe would love, and he felt a small rush of appreciation that she had found a partner as peculiar as she was. The flicker of emotion across her face was clear though, and Jason frowned slightly, leaning closer. Even Harley seemed to pick up on it, and he was surprised at the compassion from their rambunctious middle sibling. Jason nodded in agreement, reaching down to gently rub Zoe's shoulder. "We're here for you."

 

[Theodore Westwick]

Feeling Edmund's hand in his own was reassuring Theodore a lot more than he would have thought, and he nodded at his words, even if he found thm hard to believe. "Thank you." He said softly. He then took a deep breath and let go of Edmund's hand, not wanting to look weak in front of Zoe's siblings. He approached her, quiet as he listened to both Harley and Jason telling Zoe they would help. Somehow, it didn't reassure him to hear that, as he knew that the real hard work would be on them. But he knew they meant well, just like Edmund had. Theodore took one of the babies from Zoe, not entirely sure which one it was. Had this been a problem for his own parents when he and Edmund had been younger? He cleared his throat a little uncomfortably. "Thank you." He said, looking at both Harley and Jason in turn, before looking at Edmund as well. "We appreciate it a lot."

 

[Zoe Westwick]

Zoe could have almost cried when Harley complimented the girls' names. It had been so much fun choosing them, back when this had been... an exciting adventure, rather than a terrifying responsibility. She had almost forgotten how things had felt back then. "We had fun choosing them." She said with a small nod, managing an actual giggle. The relief didn't last long though, as Harley and Jason both moved to offer their help. Was her distress so obvious? She'd barely even started this, and it was already apparently clear that she wasn't handling it. It was a relief when Theodore came closer before she could respond and took Nessie out of her arms, Zoe taking advantage of the free limb to quickly wipe her eyes. She reached out and gripped his sleeve for a moment, needing the contact. This was all so much harder than Zoe had imagined, and she was relieved that he spoke for both of them, nodding quietly and looking down at Arachne again.

 

[Harley Tsuji]

Seeing Zoe smile - a real, normal smile as opposed to the obviously fake one she had tried to wear earlier - only highlighted to Harley just how unhappy her sister was. All of Harley's concerns about this whole situation bubbled to the surface again, and it was a struggle not to just deck Theodore when he finally made his way back into the room. Sure they were both young, but he was the one who had gotten Zoe into this situation. He ought to be pulling all his own weight and Harley doubted he was doing so if Zoe was in such a bad state. "And you better be doing your bit and then some." She added, snapping slightly as she gave Theodore a deadly look. "You don't wanna know what'll happen if I hear you've been dodging your responsibilities."

 

[Edmund Westwick]

Following his brother into the bedroom, Edmund could almost feel the wave of disapproval from Zoe's sister. He knew Harley wasn't the biggest fan of Theodore, especially now, but knowing that and being on the receiving end of it were two very different things. He stayed silently close to his brother as he approached the bed, doing his best to ignore Harley and focus on the babies in Zoe's arms. They were so small, and it finally struck Edmund just how real this was. His brother was a father, to twins, and here they were, sleeping right in front of him. He watched in awe as Theodore picked up one of the babies, leaning slightly closer to see her sleeping face. They were so impossibly small and delicate, it was hard to believe Theodore and Zoe had really created people. His thoughts were rudely interrupted by Harley though, and Edmund's eyes snapped instinctively to glare at the woman insulting his brother. "Of course he will." He said defensively, giving Harley a defensive look. He had seen just how fragile Theodore was right now, and he was absolutely going to stand up for his brother.

 

[Jason Harper]

Jason had expected tension today, had known all too well how Harley felt about this whole situation. Frankly, he was surprised it had taken her this long to blow up. It barely took Theodore opening his mouth to set her off though, and Jason was quick to rest a hand on Harley's shoulder. "Harley." He said gently, a hint of warning in his tone. Harley had never for a second done anything he said, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to try. For Zoe's sake; he definitely didn't want to see her more upset. "Keep calm. You'll upset the babies."

 

[Theodore Westwick]

Theodore settled the baby in his arms and smiled fondly at Zoe as he heard her laugh. It was good to hear a genuinely happy sound, as he was fairly worried about her. He leaned down and kissed the top of her head lightly, then looking up at Harley as she spoke to him. While he was fairly terrified of Zoe's sister, he knew she was right in being protective over Zoe. Theodore nodded, squaring his shoulders. "Of course." He said firmly. "This is my family. I'll do anything for them." He said, holding the baby a little closer. He appreciated Edmund standing up for him, but kept his gaze on Harley to show her he was serious.

 

[Zoe Westwick]

Zoe already felt drained and unsteady, and Harley's tone was just one step too far. Despite Harley's nature, Zoe had never fought with her older sister much as a child. They had mostly ignored one another, truth be told. Now, though, Zoe didn't even try to mask the frustration and exhaustion in her tone as she glared at her sister. "Oh shut up, Harley!" Zoe snapped. "I just gave birth to twins, you can bicker some other time." She said firmly, glaring at Harley. "You're here to hold the babies and tell me how cute they are and how well I did, anything else can wait." She gave Harley a death glare, the likes of which she had never given before, and held Arachne out to her sister. "Here."

 

[Harley Tsuji]

Harley knew her tone had been harsh, but the exhaustion and distress on Zoe's face hurt to see, and she wasn't going to stand for this. She had expected pushback from the weirdo twins, but Jason trying to hold her back was somewhat unexpected. The real surprise, though, was Zoe's reaction, and though being told off so thoroughly usually would have incensed Harley into snapping back, it was clear from the look on her sister's face that that would be a terrible idea, and not only because it would trigger a fight. It was hard to bite her tongue, but the whole point was to make her sister feel better, and it was clear to Harley that she wasn't managing that right now. So instead she nodded slightly contritely, reaching her arms out slightly to take the baby Zoe had handed her, carefully cradling the infant in her arms and making sure she was supporting her properly. "Which one is this again?" Harley asked softly, voice barely more than a whisper now that she had the sleeping infant in her arms.

 

[Edmund Westwick]

The only thing Edmund really knew about Zoe's older sister was that she had a temper, and he was prepared for this situation to escalate into a full fight, ready to take Theodore's side if he needed to. It came as a total shock that he didn't need to, Zoe speaking far harshley than he had ever seen her before. Despite years of knowing her as a classmate and Theodore's girlfriend, Edmund didn't know Zoe all that well, and he had certainly never seen her like this. He braced himself for the inevitable explosive response, surprised when Harley capitulated at once. He kept his mouth shut and glanced at Theodore, wondering if his brother understood the Tsujis better than he did.

 

[Jason Harper]

Jason knew his own gentle admonishment wouldn't do much to keep Harley calm, but he knew he needed to keep the peace somehow. It was a surprise when happy-go-lucky Zoe was the one to lash out, rightfully in Jason's opinion. He had seen Zoe frustrated and angry before, but never seen her react quite like this. It was even more of a surprise when Harley acquiesced at once. She had grown up more than Jason thought, and for a brief, insane moment he wondered if it would be fine after all to tell her his secret. It would have to wait though, as right now there were more important things to focus on. Like the baby in Harley's arms, who Jason leaned closer to get a better look at, seeing Zoe's features in the girl's face at once.

 

[Theodore Westwick]

Theodore looked at Zoe as she snapped at her sister, trying his best not to smile a little. He appreciated her standing up for him, though he was also worried about her. She really didn't seem like herself, though he supposed that made sense. Theodore moved a bit closer to Zoe, adjusting Nessie in one arm so he could touch Zoe's hand with his free hand. He squeezed it slightly. "That's... Arachne." Theodore said after only a beat of hesitation. Zoe had said which one was which, and he had definitely picked up the one she had said was Nessie. Twins were alarmingly confusing at this age. He wondered if this was some sort of payback from the universe for all the times he and Edmund had tricked people pretending to be each other.